Swimming belt



P. MESAR SWIMMING BELT May 6 1924.

Filed Dec.

Patented May 6, 1924.

UNITED STATES,

\ IETER MESAR, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO.

v swiM me BELT.

Application filed December 20, 1923. .Serial No. 681,688.

T o all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, PETER MEsAR, a citizen of the United States, residingat Cleve land', in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in a Swimming Belt, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to swimming belts for bathers. It has for its general object the provision of a buoyant support for the body that shall be so constructedas to mlnnnize the resistance of the water to the belt and thus permit swimming long distances.

A further specific object is to provide a swimming or life saving belt with a point at its forward portion that will tend to cut and share the water as does the prow of a boat and allow the body of the wearer to move more easily forward. Moreover, I have designed a belt that will lie fiat against the body due to the stiffening efiect of the mner portion of the belt thus further decreasin the water resistance.

Iurther objects include a pneumatic pleasure swimming belt construction in which a buoyant material, such as cork, shall be used in obtaining the desired shape of the belt, thus insuring the safety of the swimmer against damage tothe pneumatic portion of the belt.

Other objects will become apparent in a further description of my invention pertaining to the accompanyin drawings and its essential elements will e summarized in the claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective of the inflated belt as worn by a swimmer; Fig. 2 is a plan of the belt; Fig. 3 is a cross-section taken along the lines 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a view of the developed length of the beltshowing the side worn next to the swimmer; Fig. 5 is a section through the belt at the valve, taken along the lines 5--5 of Fig. 2.

I prefer to build my swimming belt using a single length of elastic tubing suitably reinforced and closed at the ends and provided with a Valve for inflation.

The belt generally indicated at 10 is formed as follows. A section of rubber tubing 11 is closed by vulcanizing the ends for a short distance, which closed ends form, when the tube is inflated, the points 20 of the finished belt.

In order to secure this tube to the body of th swimmer, I have providedan attaching strip or patch which I prefer to build in the following manner. I l

Two lengths ofrubber or rubberized'material 12 and 13 of somewhat shorter length than the tube are cut of suflicientwidth to cover a web belt 15 formed preferably. of heavy canvas and have a generous marginal edge for attaching the assembled strip to the tube and to enclose the webbelt; The web belt itself is stiffened throughout its entire length by a sheet-of cork indicated at I 16, or other material impervious to water and of a buoyant nature. Rivets 14 may be employed to fasten the web beltito the strips, although I do not propose to limit myself to this method. Where the "ends ,of the web belt protrude fromthe ends of the'envelopingstrips 12 and 13 it has been found convenient to considerably reinforce the structure either by sewing or by the use of additional rivets since when the ends of the inflated belt are brought together about the body of the wearer, the strain is greatest at this point.

The marginal edges 21 of the strip 12 are then attached, preferably by vulcanizing, to the tube 11 and at the same time to the marginal edges 22 of the strip 13. Fastening or buckle members 17 and 18 at the ends of the belt protrude from the strips as shown in Fig. 4. Over this entire structure I have found; it advantageous to secure a waterproof covering 19 which may be oiled or ed to be operated by an ordinary bicycle 1 The valve is shown as secured within a pair of outer and inner flanged and threaded tubes 26 and 27 and secured in the usual manner to the tube 11. patches 12 and 13 and the member 16 is cut away to receive the value tube and the outer waterproof covering may be turned in as at The reinforcing.

to cover the cut edges. A slight bead 28 on theouter valve member 26 is provided to form a recess for a sealing slug of gum rubber or cement 31.

The result of this construction is that byusing a short valve casing such as shown, the valve is effectively concealed by the body of the wearer when in use, while the material surrounding the casing is of sulficient thicknessto prevent the valve stem from touching or injuring him.

In use, the tube is first inflated a desired amount and clasped about the body with the points 20 projecting forwardly. In this position the inflation of the tube will tend to push these points together and a stiffened cuneiform prow will be formed while back of the points the belt, due to the flattened ellipsoidal cross-section Willclosely embrace the body and offer a minimum of resistance to the forward progress of the swimmer.

I claim:

1. A swimming belt adapted to encircle thebody of the wearer, flattened at its 4 shaped point.

ends and being provided with fastening means for securing the ends together to cause flattened portions to present a wedge .2. A swimming belt in the form of a pneumatic tube adapted to encircle the body,

the ends thereof terminating in flattened points, a stiffened fabric belt secured along the side and the tube next the wearer and terminating in clasping members at the base of the points whereby upon uniting the clasping members the points are pressed tightly together, projecting forwardly of the swimmer., a

3. A pneumatic swimming belt consisting of an inflatable-tube closedat its ends, reinforcing means consistingcof two layersof rubber enveloping afabric beltv and secured,

by vulcanization at its marginal. edges to the tube, a stiffening member within the fabric belt formed of buoyant material,

whereby the tube when inflated and Wrapped about the body has an ellipsoidal cr,oss-sec.-

signature.

Y PETER MESAR. 

